“All causes, civil and criminal, all questions of property, were determined by committees, who, being themselves the legislature, were accountable to no law, and for that reason their decrees were arbitrary, and their proceedings violent.  Oppression was without redress, unjust sentence without appeal; there was no prospect of ease or intermission.  The parliament had determined never to dissolve themselves.”

“At length the army interfered.  They soon perceived that, unless they made one regulation more, and crushed this many-headed monster, they had hitherto ventured their lives to little purpose, and had, instead of assuring their own and their country’s liberty, only changed one kind of slavery for another.”

This is the account of the state of a house of Commons acting independently of all influence; and of the state to which it brought the country.

October 4, 1831.

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Contempt of intimidation by popular meetings.

I do not deny that I always felt strongly the attempts that were made to intimidate your Lordships by public meetings.  For all such meetings, I feel the greatest contempt; and I am perfectly satisfied that the house is superior to any intimidation founded on the proceedings of any such assemblages.  I feel no concern for all those threats, whether proceeding from Birmingham or elsewhere.  I have always thought, and I think still, that the law is too strong to be overborne by such proceedings.  I know further, that there does exist throughout this country a strong feeling of attachment to the government of the country, as by law established.  I know that the people look up to the laws as the best means of protection, and those laws they will not violate in any manner to endanger the government of the country, or any of its established institutions.  I am afraid of none of these, but I will tell your Lordships what I am afraid of, I am afraid of revolution, and of revolutionary measures, brought in and proposed by his Majesty’s government.  I assert, and I believe that history will bear me out in the assertion, that there has been no revolution in this country, or any great change, which has not been brought about by the parliament, and generally by the government introducing measures, and carrying them through by the influence of the Crown.  I would therefore entreat your Lordships to do all you can to defeat this measure—­use every means of resistance which the just exercises of your privileges will warrant; and trust to the good sense of the country to submit to the legal and just decision you come to.

October 5,1831.

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Comparison of the Finance Administration of the Wellington with that of the Grey government.